You and I
by Dreamin
Summary: Molly slowly falls for her ex-boyfriend's best friend. Sebolly AU - university.
1. Shelved

A/N: These were inspired by prompts from quoth-the-ravenclaw.

* * *

 _You know, most of the time, being five-foot-three is just annoying, it doesn't hold me back,_ Molly Hooper thought darkly as she stared up (and up) at the very book on diseases she'd been looking for. Of course, it was on the top of the highest shelf, far out of her reach. She knew there was a footstool a few rows away but she was determined to get the book without any sort of assistance.

Taking a quick glance around to assure herself she was alone, she then backed away several feet before running to the shelf as fast as she could and leaping for the book.

All that got her was banging her nose painfully against the shelves.

Not to mention masculine, highly amused laughter coming from the other end of the row.

Cheeks burning, nose aching, she slowly turned to the source of the laughter. Sebastian Moran, best friend of her ex-boyfriend Jim, was leaning against one of the shelves, grinning at her. Even when she was dating Jim (which was for about three minutes at the beginning of the year), she couldn't help noticing how good-looking Seb (as he preferred to be called) was – six feet of solid muscle (the brawn to Jim's brain), red hair (she had a weakness for gingers), and a quiet confidence in his abilities. It was a marked difference from Jim's cockiness.

Molly was holding her nose as Seb approached her, his grin fading as he looked at her with concern in those usually inscrutable slate blue eyes. He wrapped his large hand around her tiny wrist then gently lowered her hand, examining her nose.

"Not broken," he declared after a moment, then he smirked. "I should know, I've broken a few, including my own."

"I … won't ask," she said, though she was burning with curiosity.

Seb chuckled. "No, that kind of story is best told over a pint." He reached up effortlessly then pulled down the book she wanted, holding it just above her head, his grin ear-to-ear. "Come to the pub with me and you can have this."

"Hmph." Placing a hand on his impressively firm chest to steady herself, she jumped up and grabbed the book. "Some other time, maybe. Some of us have studying to do." It took all of her willpower to turn and walk away from him.

"Not everything worth studying is found in a book," he replied and she could hear the grin in his voice.

 _Damn him._


	2. Thwarted

Molly didn't see Sebastian again for a week. Every time she felt disappointed, she reminded herself that they didn't have any classes together. _I don't even know what his major is, but it's certainly not pre-med._

After a grueling week of exams, she needed to unwind. Knowing the library had a nice collection of romance novels, she went after her morning classes only to find out the book she really wanted was already checked out.

"Sorry," the librarian said sympathetically. "S. Moran already beat you to it."

Molly stared at the woman. _S. Moran? Seb? There's no way…_ "Um, thanks. I'll come back in a couple of days, I guess." Inwardly seething as she left the library, she headed down the path that led to Seb's dorm. _Why on Earth would Seb want a romance novel? There's no way he'd be interested in it. Ugh, he probably just wants to read the sex scenes. Boys are so predictable._

She marched up the front steps of his building then hit the buzzer for his and Jim's room.

"If you're looking for Jim, he's 'tutoring.' Check under the bleachers."

Molly rolled her eyes, already familiar with Jim's brand of "tutoring." "I'm here for you," she replied, annoyed.

"Oh, hey, Molls. I'd invite you up but women aren't allowed. Be down in a sec."

She was expecting him to come through the front door. When a rucksack landed on the ground next to her, she nearly jumped out of her skin, but that was nothing compared to seeing Seb climb through his third-story dorm room window, jump onto a nearby tree limb, then climb down the tree until he was able to jump down, landing next to his bag.

"Are you trying to break your neck?" Molly said as she forced herself to calm down.

Seb straightened, grinning at her. "Relax, babe. I've been climbing trees since before I could walk. So, what brings you to my neck of the woods?"

" _One Night of Passion_ , I know you have it."

"Keep your voice down," he said firmly, glancing around. "I have a reputation to protect."

Molly raised an eyebrow. "Big Bad Seb Moran doesn't want the world to know he checked out a romance novel?"

"Big Bad Seb Moran doesn't want the world to know he reads them regularly," he muttered.

"Why?" she asked, staring at him. "What do you get out of them?"

"A love story between two people who are right for each other and … um … maybe some pointers." His cheeks were almost as red as his hair. "Repeat that and I'll tell everyone about your run-in with the shelves."

Molly waved a hand in dismissal. "Please, everyone knows I'm a klutz. My silence can be bought, however, with you turning that book in sooner rather than later. It's one of my favorites."

"I just got it yesterday," he protested. "I haven't even gotten to the arrangement yet."

"So you have read it."

"Are you kidding? It's her best."

"Then it won't take you long to finish it." She grinned evilly. "Three days or the world will know what your favorite reading material is."

Seb sighed heavily. "You're a cruel woman, Molly Hooper."

Two days later, a brand new copy of _One Night of Passion_ was waiting for her outside her dorm room. The note said simply:

 **I knew there was a reason why I liked you.**

 **Seb**


	3. Boxed

A/N: Based on two prompts by quoth-the-ravenclawed.

* * *

Friday night, Molly was in the library, studying for a big exam on Monday, when she heard a loud bark of laughter then multiple shushes. A whiff of pizza had her stomach rumbling. Curious, she got up then walked past the row of shelves to the open area to find Seb and a bunch of his friends (though thankfully not Jim) seated at one of the large tables, surrounded by books and papers.

He smiled when he saw her. "Hey, Molly. Are we disturbing you? I told them we have to keep it down."

"Um, no, it's okay." At the sight of the pizza boxes, her stomach rumbled again.

Seb chuckled. "Here." He took his bag off the chair next to him then held it out for her.

"Thanks," she said as she sat down.

He handed her a piece of pizza and a couple of napkins. "Don't thank me, just tell us if you think 'Citizen Kane' really is the masterpiece our History of Cinema professor thinks it is." Seb grinned at her. "I think he's full of bunk."

Molly couldn't help grinning back at him.

A week later, Molly was in the library, looking over the DVD collection. She had a craving for _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ , which had been her favorite show when she was a teenager. The library had the complete boxed set but once again, something she wanted had been already checked out.

"That was checked out a week ago," the librarian told her. "He checked it out for two weeks, but most people need an extension."

 _He?_ A nagging suspicion hit her. "Would that be S. Moran?"

The librarian smiled. "Yes, do you know him?"

"Oh, yes." _Though not as well as I thought, obviously._

The next day, she was checking out a book on poisons when Sebastian entered the library, carrying the boxed Buffy set. She smiled at him. "Hi, Seb. Change your mind about Buffy?"

He grinned at her. "Hey, Molls. Actually, I finished it."

"But you only had it for a week," she said, staring at him. "No one can watch over a hundred hours of TV in a week. Are you okay?"

He chuckled. "I'm fine. I also cheat – there are some episodes I wouldn't watch again if you paid me."

Molly grinned. "' _Once More, With Feeling_?'"

"Are you kidding? That's my favorite episode!"

"You two should watch it together sometime," the librarian said, grinning.

"Not a bad idea," Seb said, his grin even wider.

Since neither of their dorms allowed the opposite sex in the rooms, they decided to watch the DVD on Molly's laptop in a corner of the student commons. Within the first fifteen minutes of the episode, they had been joined by half a dozen other students, all of them _Buffy_ fans.

"So much for our date," Seb murmured in her ear. They were sitting together on the sofa, her laptop on the coffee table. People surrounded them.

She turned to look at him, surprised. "This is a date?" she murmured back.

He just grinned at her.


End file.
